What is WordPress hosting? What’s the difference between Web hosting vs WordPress hosting? Web hosting is a general term used for all web hosting services but WordPress hosting can be either shared or managed. We review the advantages and disadvantages of WordPress hosting and also list the best WordPress hosting providers. Let’s get started.
What is WordPress Hosting?
WordPress hosting is a specialized type of shared web hosting where multiple websites are hosted on a single physical server, which is optimized for WordPress and all the server’s resources are shared with other customers.
This is one of the most popular and cheapest options for WordPress users because the cost of server maintenance is shared among multiple customers.
WordPress hosting can either be shared or managed but in this article we’ll be covering the aspects of shared WordPress hosting.
Just so that it’s easy to understand how shared WordPress hosting works, let us pretend that your website is the red laptop or website displayed in the middle of these 2 other websites.
As you can see, there’s one physical server, connected to you and two other websites, one to the left and one to the right of you. You are all on the same network, using the same IP address, and sharing the same server resources.
Advantages of WordPress Hosting
WordPress Optimized for High and Performance – WordPress hosting servers are configured and optimized for WordPress websites. Having your WordPress website optimized for high performance can give you faster website speed, upload times and the ability to manage higher amounts of traffic.
Cheapest and Most Affordable Type of Web Hosting – Since the CPU, bandwidth, disk space, and other resources are being shared among multiple customers, web hosting and server maintenance costs are discounted and the savings are passed on to all customers.
Fast and Easy to Set Up – Shared hosting is simple, straightforward and easy to set up. Many hosting accounts come with a free drag-and-drop website builder or one-click WordPress installation, so you can easily build a website and have it up and running in no time.
Easy Management – Most shared hosting plans come with the industry-standard control panel called Cpanel which makes managing your hosting account super easy.
Low Maintenance – Server maintenance, administrative tasks, and security are usually handled by your hosting provider so you don’t have to worry about managing servers, installing server software, security updates or other aspects of hosting.
Host Multiple Domains – Many shared hosting plans allow you to host more than one domain or website in a single hosting account.
Flexible and Scalable – You can choose a shared hosting plan that fits the needs of your website, and if those needs change you can either scale up or down. For example, as your personal website, blog or small business grows, you can upgrade to a better hosting plan that offers better security, flexibility, and scalability for growth.
Disadvantages of WordPress Hosting
Limited Server Resources – Many shared WordPress hosting providers claim that they offer unlimited web hosting with unlimited disk space and bandwidth and everything else, but that’s simply not true. Unlimited plans have limitations to the number of server resources you can use. Each website has its own resource allotment or limit.
The truth is, that most hosting companies do give you plenty of resources, but it’s based on what they think the average website will normally use on a shared server. So, they assume that most likely, you’ll never really exceed, or go over your resource limit – but as your website traffic grows, you could go over your limit and your website could experience slow loading pages or even downtime. If this happens, you’ll most likely need to upgrade to a better plan with more resources.
Limited Security (Shared IP Address) – With shared WordPress hosting, you’re also sharing an IP address with multiple websites, which is usually more prone to hacking or possible spam issues. If one of the websites that share your IP address gets blacklisted or If there’s any malicious activity, then it can affect all websites users on that server.
Limited Customer Support – Most shared WordPress hosting plans come with great customer support, however there are some hosting providers that offer a limited level of support compared to someone using a VPS or dedicated hosting, so it’s important to do your research before selecting any WordPress hosting provider.
Who Should Use WordPress Hosting?
WordPress websites, blogs, and small business – Shared WordPress hosting is great for WordPress websites, blogs, and small businesses or any other websites that would like faster website speed, upload times and the ability to manage higher amounts of traffic or high bandwidth.
Cheap and affordable web hosting – If you’re on a tight budget or just want to save on cost’s then shared WordPress hosting is a great way to launch a website while keeping your expenses low.
What are the Best WordPress Hosting Providers?
Below we compiled a list of the best-shared WordPress hosting providers. Shared hosting is a great way for a new WordPress website or small business to get online quickly. No matter which WordPress hosting provider you choose, make sure they offer the flexibility, security, and scalability you need.